Warm Your Guts.

Ok. This is hands-down one of my favorite recipes to make when it's chilly. It's hearty, full of flavor, and if you have a little time it's actually kind of relaxing to make! One of the best parts is that you can alter the amounts a bit, according to taste and what you have around. Once I made it as a pot roast in the oven... way good. As a stew, though, I almost always add more stock, and seem to add whatever I have on hand for potatoes and vegetables. (It's turned out great with chicken stock subbing for beef, too.) It will simmer ALL AFTERNOON. The smelly-goodness will fill the kitchen, and you'll be honestly warmed all the way through. Do it my way- pop in an old black-and-white movie for some good background noise, and make an afternoon of it!

Classic Beef Stew
(Recipe adapted from allrecipes.com!)
You'll need (most amounts are flexible):
Beef round or stew meat (2-4 lbs.)
Flour (to coat beef)
Olive Oil 
2 Onions, diced
1 6 oz. can Tomato Paste
1 c. dry red wine
4 c. Potatoes, cubed
2 c. Carrots, cut up
1 c. Frozen Peas (optional)
2-4 c. Beef Broth 
Bay Leaf
1 t. Thyme
1 T. Kosher Salt


Prep veggies and trim beef. Make broth. Coat beef cubes in flour. Heat few T.'s oil over med-high heat in skillet. Brown meat. Transfer meat to dutch oven. Add onions to skillet, cook about 10 minutes or until tender. Stir in tomato paste, coat onions, transfer to dutch oven. Pour wine into skillet, scrape out brown bits and transfer wine to dutch oven. Stir in broth, salt, thyme, and bay leaf. Cook on stovetop on low for 2 1/2 hours (or in the oven at 325 degrees for 4 hours) and stir occasionally. Add 1-2 cups additional broth if necessary (I usually use 4 cups total). Add potatoes and carrots in last hour, add peas just before serving. (If freezing: skip peas, add when reheating. To reheat: thaw slowly and warm in saucepan over med-low heat.)


Serve HOT HOT HOT! with good, crusty bread.